And he needed a strong debate performance if he wanted to change the trajectory of the race.

Unlike past moderators, Wallace kept the focus on the issues.

Previous moderators – who acted like Clinton campaign surrogates – would ask questions about the circus aspect of the race to benefit Hillary Clinton.

But the first question of the night was about the Supreme Court, and Trump forcefully defended his desire to appoint pro-life and pro-Second Amendment judges.

He also ripped Hillary for her support of partial birth abortion, and accurately stated that she was in favor of ripping babies out of the womb during the ninth month of a woman’s pregnancy.

Trump ripped the immorality of Clinton’s positions, and also rightly stated that she essentially supports infanticide.

Clinton was also forced to defend her extremist position on guns and her support for a national gun registration scheme, as well as stripping Americans of their Second Amendment rights without due process of law.

On immigration, Trump hit Clinton over her stated support for open borders.

Clinton tried to deny the charge, but Trump fired back with the statement she had made to Brazilian bankers where she declared her support for a common market and open borders.

Pollster Frank Luntz conducted a focus group of undecided voters during the debate and they scored the immigration exchange as a ‘win’ for Trump.

Who won on immigration?

• 2 say Hillary
• 19 say Trump
• 5 say neither/tied#DebateNight

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 20, 2016

Luntz’s focus group also found Trump’s strong stances against globalist trade deals scored well with the undecided voters as well.

When Trump zeroes in on NAFTA, TPP, and trade, he wins.

If he wants to win in November, he should stay on trade. #debate pic.twitter.com/RrZCooPyBt

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 20, 2016

Voters also responded when Trump ripped into the incompetent foreign policy decisions made by Obama, such as the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, the decision to hastily retreat from Iraq, and the failed policy of arming so-called “Syrian rebels”.

When Trump focuses on the failures and absurdities of Clinton/Obama foreign policy, even Hillary-leaners give him solid scores. #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/FtHlhCwktv